Planning law must protect the environment and communities

Effective planning can protect wildlife habitat, water resources, farmland and urban settlements, and can help us tackle some of our most pressing environmental challenges, including:

loss and fragmentation of native vegetation and wildlife habitat

degradation of rivers, wetlands and water catchments

urban sprawl, traffic congestion and urban air pollution

carbon pollution and impacts of climate change

We believe the planning system should be about planning for the future, protecting and managing our precious natural resources, supporting communities and our way of life. New South Wales deserves a planning system that will provide positive and balanced environmental, social and economic outcomes for our state, now and into the future.

2016 Changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

Minister Stokes has recently announced that he will be amending the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in the second half of 2016. Find out more

Will you sign the Community Charter for Good Planning?

Last year, we campaigned against the government’s planning reforms, which would have weakened environmental protections and cut the community out of planning decisions.

Since then we’ve teamed up with organisations across NSW to develop the Community Charter for Good Planning, which sets out principles to achieve a better, fairer and more accountable planning system in NSW.

The Community Charter has now been endorsed by key environment groups and a rapidly growing number of individuals, parliamentarians and community organisations.

Regional Growth and Infrastructure Plans

The NSW Government is starting to develop Regional Growth and Infrastructure Plans across NSW. These plans will underpin planning and environment decisions in your regional area over the next 20 years.

This is an important opportunity to have your say on the long-term environment and conservation issues in your region including biodiversity and habitat loss, water resources, mining and coal seam gas, agriculture, waste management, pollution, transport and green industry.

Discussion Papers have been released for the Central Coast and Lower Hunter, and a draft Plan for the Illawarra was exhibited in late 2014.

An open letter on the status of planning in NSW

In February 2015, we wrote to Planning Minister, Pru Goward, and each of the major parties outlining our concerns with the status of planning in NSW. You can read our letter and the Government's response below:

Latest news

A report released today by a NSW upper house parliamentary committee found the community opposes government plans to sell off Crown lands, which people cherish for their environmental, social and cultural values.